A Way To Comfort Him
by chibisamalove
Summary: This is kind of a Jr.xShion story, but in the end, it's not.  Jr.'s got a REALLY bad mouth in here, and there is indeed a LEMON contained within it.  Shion's looking for a way to comfort Jr. and stumbles upon what he needs.  Ep. II and III spoilers!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note – **The timeline for this fic falls directly after the ending of Episode II but before the epilogue where the characters split up. I'm just going to stick in a warning that there is an Episode III spoiler at the very end, but not an OMG one. Also, this has absolutely no relation to either of my other two Jr.xShion stories, _A Special Gift for Shion _or _New Beginnings_.

**Disclaimer – **I own none of these characters. They are all the property of Monolithsoft and Bandai-Namco. -sigh-

Shion Uzuki was lying awake in the room she was staying in aboard the _Durandal_. She wasn't at all tired, if she was to be entirely honest with herself. Since she knew she had no chance of sleeping any time soon, she sat up in bed and threw her feet over the side. "I don't know why I'm so restless," she muttered. "Maybe if I take a walk to the park and sit watching the environmental bugs for a while, I'll start feeling tired enough to sleep." She removed her nightshirt in favor of a spaghetti-strapped dusky rose shirt and black capris and left the room quickly.

Surprisingly, she ran into Allen Ridgeley in the hallway. "Chief," he whispered, "what are you doing up so late?"

She folded her arms across her chest. "I could ask you the same thing," she said, lifting an eyebrow. "And why are you lurking outside my room, Allen?"

He turned a dull red. "I wasn't lurking," he defended himself. "I just couldn't sleep, so I was wandering around. I guess the whole thing with Jr. and Albedo has left everybody a little depressed…"

Shion's green eyes darkened. Allen's mention of Jr. and Albedo brought an image of the red-haired captain of the _Durandal_ to her mind. Although he'd acted fine when he'd returned after his battle with Albedo, she'd seen the sadness in his blue eyes. While he was usually quick to laugh and grin and joke around, that had been severely lacking at dinner the last two nights. He'd mostly kept quiet, and he'd even seemed to resist MOMO's attempts to draw him into conversation. "I know, Allen. Jr.'s trying hard to hide it, but he's obviously blaming himself and hurting because of it. Not even MOMO has been able to get him to say much."

_How is it that she can see how Jr.'s feeling, but she can never see my feelings for her?_ Allen sighed internally. Aloud, he replied, "Yeah, MOMO's been trying hard, but I think Jr. really needs some time to grieve."

She nodded distractedly. "Allen, I'm just going to take a walk. By myself," she clarified when he acted as though he would be happy to go with her. "Good night."

He watched her walk away and shook his head. "Why can't she let me in?" he mumbled, sighing to himself.

A half-hour later, she was forced to admit the idea that had crossed her mind might not have been such a smart one. "Shion Uzuki, you have no idea where Jr. even stays on this ship. What were you planning to do, ring every room until you found out which one is his?" Her shoulders slumped, and she turned on her heel to head back toward her own room.

"Talking to yourself is the first sign you're going crazy." A low voice spoke from the shadows, and Shion gave a small shriek of fright. She spun around to watch Jr. push away from the wall a few feet from her. He'd stood there quietly as she passed by him twice, each time failing to take note of his presence. "What the hell are you even doing over this way, Shion? Your quarters aren't anywhere near here. Shouldn't you be tucked away in bed, dreaming happy dreams?" The words could have been mocking if his tone wasn't flat and emotionless.

"I was looking for you," she said honestly. "Or your room, to be more exact. After searching for a while, I realized I don't know where you stay when you're on the ship."

His eyebrows drew together. "Looking for me? Why?"

"Because I know you're not okay, Jr., no matter how you try to pretend. And I thought you might want to talk…or something," she finished feebly, taking a step back as his eyes blazed.

"I don't need to fucking talk!" he raged. "Jesus Christ, everyone's on me to talk about my goddamn feelings since I came back. What's talking going to do for me? Is it going to erase the fact that I killed my twin brother?!"

Shion narrowed her eyes at him. "No, it's not going to bring Albedo back, but neither is barking at everyone who wants to try and help you. I'm sorry I made my way over here!" She started to walk around him when his hand shot out to grab her arm. "I think you need to let go of me, Jr.," she hissed.

He did so instantly, lifting a hand to run his fingers through already tousled red hair. "Shit. Look, I didn't mean to act like a complete bastard, Shion," he told her with a sigh. "I was on my way to the casino to get good and drunk when I saw you come into this section. It helps to dull the edge right now." He pointed toward the level above them. "My room's up that way, if you still wanna talk."

They made their way to his room in silence. Jr. opened the door and allowed Shion through with an incline of his head. "Don't mind the mess," he said tonelessly, following her inside. "I can't say I've been in much of a cleaning mood the last couple days." He shoved some rumpled clothes off the long booth behind the table in the corner of his room. "If you're planning on staying, might as well sit down."

She quickly sat down, keeping her eyes focused on the hands she kept twisting in her lap. "I'm not even sure why I'm here, Jr. I don't know if I can help. Allen mentioned you when I ran into him, and I just had an idea to come and see you."

"How could you even start to help me?" he asked aggressively. "You and Jin might not get along all that great, but at least he's never forced you into killing him. Christ." He covered his eyes with his hand and turned away from her.

"No, but maybe the fact that Jin and I aren't all that close can help you talk to me. Maybe I'm the only one who can even start to understand." She stood up and perched her hip on the table.

"When Jin creates a fucking space-time anomaly and takes a part of U-DO into himself, forcing you to take his ass out, then maybe you can understand, Shion. He was my goddamn twin brother! He was my other half, and I murdered him!" Jr. slammed a fist down on the table next to her, his blue eyes glaring into her green ones.

"Good, get angry and yell at me! It's more emotion than you've shown anyone the last few days! Do you think you're doing anyone any favors locking it all up inside and acting tough when you're falling apart inside?" A small voice whispered inside her head that she could apply those same words to herself, but she ignored it. It was easier to focus on Jr.'s pain rather than her own.

"That's rich coming from you," he jeered. "You fell apart just seeing those two Realians in Labyrinthos."

"Does it make you feel better to try and hurt me?" she said quietly.

"No," he admitted. "It just makes me feel emptier inside than I felt already. Shit, why did it have to end like this?" He moved away from her, and he dropped heavily onto one of the beds in the room.

Cautiously, she approached him. "I can't answer that, Jr. I just don't think you should keep blaming yourself for doing what you needed to do. I don't know what all happened when you went, but I think I know Albedo well enough to say he must have taunted you until you gave in."

He waved a hand to show she could sit beside him, and she did, keeping a discreet amount of distance between them. "Yeah, he showed me a ton of crap to piss me off. It triggered my Red Dragon mode, but I shut it down. The first time, anyway." He dropped his head to his hands with a sigh. "The second time, though, I was face-to-face with him when he was taunting me. I was created to destroy U-DO, Shion, and Albedo became a fucking part of it!" He took a minute to regain the rigid composure that they'd all seen from him since Albedo had died. "Dad would have been proud. I did what he wanted, after all," he finished, and his voice was filled with self-loathing.

Unsure of what to do for him, she put her arms around him in a comforting embrace. He stiffened and jerked away. Realizing that her presence wasn't doing what she'd hoped it would, she started to get to her feet. His hand caught hers, and he pulled her back, causing her to lose her balance. She fell back against the bed. "Jr., why did you do that?!"

He didn't answer, choosing instead to lean over her. He stared down at her, his eyes blazing intensely. She heard him mutter, "Aw, screw it," and then his mouth met hers.

Shion stiffened in shock. While she hadn't entertained many scenarios before coming to Jr.'s room with him, his kissing her hadn't been one to flit across her mind. Gathering her scattered wits about her, she pushed against his chest. When he sat up with a muffled expletive, she stormed, "Just what the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"Telling you to get out. I sure as hell wouldn't want it to get around that you kissed a kid," he mocked, sliding smoothly into an icy veneer.

"Don't you dare try to hide behind that! You're not a child, even though you're perfectly capable of acting like one when you think the occasion calls for it! I want to know why you kissed me, Jr., and I want to know now!" She locked eyes with him, and they glared at one another for a short time.

Finally, he swore soundly and gave in. "Because I want to just forget about everything for a while, Shion. Is that so goddamn wrong?"

"So I'm nothing more than a distraction for you?" she snapped. "It's good to see our friendship means so much to you! I'm leaving, Jr., and I don't want to talk -" Her furious response was cut off by the simple pressure of his lips against hers, and she stiffened again.

"That's not what I meant," he told her quietly, and she gasped in surprise when his hand slid beneath her shirt. "I care about you a whole helluva lot, and you don't have a clue how fucking much it means to me that you wouldn't let me bully you around like I've been doing with everybody else. It's like you get me when no one else does, Shion."

"So you want to have sex with me because I wouldn't let you get away with acting like an idiot?" she asked bemusedly, stopping his hand from going any further. The thought of any type of sexual relations with Jr. was a concept she was having trouble accepting. Despite his having the mind of a twenty-six-year-old and her own knowledge that he was indeed an adult, it was impossible to ignore that he was trapped in a twelve-year-old body.

"It's not gonna fly, is it?" he said, his blue eyes narrowing as he watched every thought she was having telegraph itself on her face. "You're not getting past what I look like." He hauled himself into a sitting position. "Then let's forget this ever happened. You get your ass back to your own room, and tomorrow will be a new damn day."

She stayed silent, keeping her gaze focused upon him. His wall had begun to somewhat crack during the time they'd spent talking and shouting at one another, but its defenses were being strengthened again as she watched. Taking a deep breath, she weighed her options. She could exit the room, leaving Jr. to his guilt and anger, or she could stay and see where they ended up. She took his hand gently. "I'd like to stay, if you'll let me. That doesn't mean we'll end up having sex, Jr.," she warned. "It means I won't leave you here alone with your thoughts."

His other hand slid into her hair, and she allowed him to ease her back down. He shifted slightly and stared down at her again, tracing her lips with his thumb. "You're kidding yourself if you think we won't, Shion. If you stay, we both know what's going to happen. You have to be okay with that fact. If you're not, get up and walk out."

She bit her lip, reluctantly acknowledging he was right. "You gave me a chance, and I chose to stay. Whatever happens now, happens with my consent, Jr." Her eyes met his. "How is it that you seem to know what you're doing, though? I would have thought -"

"You would have thought wrong," he replied and then lowered his head, his mouth skimming over her throat. "Damn, you smell good."

"Are you sure you don't want to talk, Jr.?" she asked hurriedly, because his kisses and caresses were already beginning to cloud her mind. It was difficult to believe, but the adult man in a child's body above her was clearly an expert in getting a woman to respond to him.

"No more talking," he said firmly. He eased her shirt up and brought his mouth to her flat stomach. Trailing kisses in a northward direction, he continued to lift her shirt as she arched underneath him. "Who'd have thought I'd have Shion Uzuki under me, getting all hot and wet?" He saw her mouth purse angrily, but before she could bite out an answer, he covered it with his. He slid his tongue into the warm recesses of it, trying to coax hers into battle. She resisted in the beginning, more out of spite for his crudeness than her not wishing to respond, but eventually her tongue stroked his in return. He felt her hands slide beneath his dove gray T-shirt and move up his back. That honestly surprised him, since he'd figured he'd be the one doing all the touching. Her fingernails scraped lightly over his skin, and he groaned. "Shit, are you gonna be a gouger like Mary?"

"Are you telling me that you and Mary have…?" Her green eyes widened when he made an affirmative noise. "I thought the two of you were just friends." She gasped when he nipped at her through the lacy material of her bra.

"We are friends. We're just friends who used to sleep together. Don't anymore. And hey, we're friends and look at what the hell we're doing," he pointed out, taking note the bra had a front clasp. He undid it quickly and bared her to his view. His mouth moved over her, once again causing her to arch against him. "I wonder if the underwear matches the bra…" He hooked a finger into the capris and tugged at them. A small sound from her caused him to stop. "I don't need you naked underneath me, Shion, if you don't want me to totally undress you. I'll admit that I'm pretty damn interested in seeing the whole package, though." He nibbled on her ear, and she let out a breathy sigh.

"How did you get this good being in that body?" she asked, her breath catching as he trailed a finger over her stomach.

"I don't think you need to hear about my sexual experiences," he said with a chuckle. "Just know I've had more than enough to know how to make you scream. But I won't, 'cause we don't want Mary or Shelley headed down here to see what's wrong." He dipped his head to draw her nipple into his mouth, teasing it with his tongue. The hand that was resting on her stomach moved lower and slid beneath the waistband of the capris.

"You're not being fair," she moaned softly. "You've already got me half-undressed, and you're still fully dressed." Her fingernails dug into his back when his hand stilled between her legs.

"Shion, let's be serious. What the fuck am I going to get undressed for? I just need to unzip when we're ready to get down to business." He clenched his teeth when he felt her fingernails dig even deeper. "Shit, you're worse than Mary. That's gonna leave a mark, you know."

"If we're going to do this, we're going to do it right, Jr.," she told him, returning to gently running her fingernails over his back. "Other women might not have minded, but if you're getting the whole package, then so am I."

"Who am I to argue?" He shrugged out of his T-shirt, awaiting the reaction he was sure was coming when she saw his twelve-year-old chest. Seeing it close-up was different than seeing him running around in his swimsuit at the Foundation's beach, and he knew it. When there was no sound of disgust, he tilted her chin up to look into her eyes. "No reaction to it?"

She took the initiative and kissed him deeply, drawing him close so that they were skin-to-skin. When they pulled apart, his eyes were heavy-lidded with desire. Seeing the last of the sadness disappear from them caused Shion to realize she'd been right in involving him completely. She lifted a hand to caress his cheek and was surprised when he turned his head to kiss the palm. "Jr.?"

He shook his head. "It's nothing. God, I just want you so fucking badly. I don't think anyone I've been with ever had me this hot. How about I slide these off you and see how ready you are?" He peeled the tight-fitting capris off and waggled his eyebrows when he caught sight of the matching rose-colored scrap of material barely concealing her. "Knew they'd match," he murmured before baring her completely. "Now it's my turn, since you asked for it. Then we're gonna get serious." He shimmied out of his blue jeans and boxers and tossed every bit of clothing on the floor. His hand returned to the apex of her thighs, and she undulated beneath him. "Oh, yeah, you're ready. If someone had told me I'd be getting ready to fuck Shion Uzuki, I'd have demanded whatever damn happy pills they were on," he groaned.

"I'd prefer it if you weren't so vulgar," she complained.

"I can do that," he said, lowering his head to involve her in a fiercely erotic kiss. "I kinda like the idea that I'm making love to you, if you wanna know the truth." He spread her legs a bit more and fit himself between them. "Last chance to turn back," he whispered, his eyes intent on hers.

"I gave up my last chance when I told you I was staying, Jr.," she replied breathlessly and then emitted a tiny cry as she felt him enter her. She shook her head back and forth on the pillow before he caught her chin in hand and gave her a heated kiss.

He rocked within her slowly, intending on prolonging their pleasure for as long as he could. He could feel her fingernails digging into his back, but he wasn't registering any pain from it. "At least I'll have proof this wasn't a goddamn dream," he groaned lowly. "My back's gonna be full of scratches by the time we're done. And since I have to live with the marks, I think it's only fair that you do, too…" His mouth fastened upon her nipple again, and her back arched off the bed. Sliding his mouth up over her breast, he nipped at her skin, chuckling when she erupted in gooseflesh. "Guess I'm not keeping you warm enough, huh?"

"I think you're talking too much," she told him gently and lifted her chin for the kiss she'd seen coming. They moved against one another, each making their own unique sounds as hands slid over bodies becoming slick with sweat. Her sound was a low purring noise in the back of her throat, and he tenderly moved her damp hair out of her face.

"You sound like a cat," he murmured, and the purring sound grew louder as his hand moved between their bodies. "Makes sense with those green cat eyes of yours." He made a noise akin to a growl when her nails scored his back in blind passion.

"**Y****ou** sound like an angry dog when you do that," she forced out as his finger began to stroke her. She tilted her head back, baring her throat, and his mouth moved over the delicate skin there. A tumult started to build in her, and she didn't attempt to fight it. He changed the pace, and it wasn't long before the two of them were crying out in ecstasy as the wave flowed over them and nearly drowned them in its strength.

"Shit, I wanted it to last a helluva lot longer than that," he managed to say after he'd rolled to the side and regained his breath. "It was that damn purring of yours that got me…" He lifted a hand and brought it to her cheek. "You look like you're about to pass out. I'm not asking you to spend the night or anything, but why don't you get some sleep?"

Shion's eyelids fluttered. "I think I will, at least for a little while." She suddenly stiffened, and Jr. shot her a confused expression when she turned panicked eyes on him. "Jr., we never used any kind of protection!"

"Seriously, Shion," he replied, stretching lazily, "a little late to be bringing **that** up. The sex is over with." When she continued to look panicked, he sighed. "I'll let you in on a little secret about me. I'm my own form of birth control. In all my sexual encounters, no one reaped that reward," he said sardonically. He laid his finger against her lips when she stubbornly opened her mouth to say something in return. "No sense in worrying about it now, anyway. And I'm telling you you're worrying for nothing. Just relax and go to sleep for a while."

Shaking her head, she curled up onto her side, facing him as she spoke. "I guess you're right. Don't let me sleep for too long, Jr. Okay?" With his promise that he'd awaken her in a little while, she fell asleep, her breathing light and even.

Jr. sat up in the bed, small currents of pleasure still rippling throughout his body. He moved to lean over Shion, his blue eyes scanning her sleeping face. With a gentle hand, he reached out to caress her cheek with his thumb. "Thank you," he told her softly. Too keyed up from what he'd just done with her, he left the bed quietly, grabbing his dark blue robe and throwing it on. He pulled the belt around him and secured it as he headed over to the terminal at the back of his room. Keying in the coordinates for where Gaignun was staying on Fifth Jerusalem, he waited for his brother and partner to accept the transmission.

Just as he was about to give up, Gaignun's image lit up the screen. "I wasn't exactly expecting to hear from you," Gaignun said, his tone surprised. "Any particular reason you're using this method of contact at this time of night?"

Jr. shrugged. "I couldn't sleep. Figured I'd check on what my errant brother's been up to. Honestly, I'm wondering how freakin' long you're planning on sticking me with the paperwork."

"No, you're wondering if I'll be there for the funeral you don't wish to have for Albedo. Of course I will, but I'm not going to be able to stay long. I've got business here that I can't leave for any real length of time." Gaignun looked a bit ill-at-ease, but lost as he was in his own feelings and issues, Jr. failed to pick up on it.

"And why the hell can't you tell me anything about it? You're not even keen on me contacting you unless it's 'absolutely necessary.'" Jr. threw Gaignun's words back at him, but he was careful to keep his tone low to avoid awakening the brunette sleeping in his bed not that far a distance away.

Smoothly sidestepping, Gaignun narrowed his green eyes in thought. "You're never that quiet unless you're…receiving company," he observed, his voice taking on a hint of a teasing note. "Do I dare to ask who it is?"

Jr. glanced away. "Last time I looked, I was alone."

"Then maybe you should look again," Gaignun needled, the teasing note now out in full force. "Did you forget to do something rather important before you contacted me?" At Jr.'s blank look, he elaborated, "You're not even attempting to put up a block against me. Whoever the young woman is, she seems to have done her job quite admirably."

"And just what the fuck does that mean?" Jr. spat. "So I forgot to block you for once! What's the big, goddamn deal?!"

"Ah, I'm beginning to have an idea of just who your lady friend is, you know. And if I delve…just so," Gaignun spoke softly, causing Jr. to jump out of his seat, "I can see I'm right. How did you manage to convince Ms. Uzuki to join you for the night?"

Unable to stop his eyes from widening, Jr. chose to do verbal battle with his brother as he tried to recover his wits. "I don't know what the hell would even make you think Shion's here, but you're wrong. Not a surprise, seeing how you're in the goddamn capital where you can't see how fucking wrong you are. Not like Shion would even give me the time of day when it comes to that."

"It would appear she's given you quite a bit more than the time of day." Seeing Jr.'s eyes blaze, Gaignun backed off slightly, raising his hands. "You can't blame me when you've allowed me access to your thoughts. And it's safe to say your mind is permeated with her. Were you looking for me to see your conquest?"

Jr.'s gaze traveled back toward the bed, where Shion's bared shoulder was visible. "No. I'm just so messed up right now that I can't even put up a simple barrier to keep you out. And why the hell would you have even thought of Shion, anyway? You said you had an idea before you ducked inside my head. Why her?"

Gaignun appeared thoughtful for a time. "I know you care for MOMO, but am I right in believing it's more of a brotherly love than the type I teased you about in the office that time?"

"I'm kinda not getting where MOMO fits in," Jr. said with a grimace, "but yeah, she's like a little sister to me. I'm not always great at promises…" His voice trailed off as thoughts of how he'd failed Albedo suddenly struck him. He lowered his head, taking a minute to compose himself. Drawing a deep breath, he met Gaignun's sharp but empathetic gaze. "I don't want to fail in my promise to Sakura," he finished quietly.

"I'm certain you won't, Jr.," Gaignun responded gently. He returned the subject to what he'd originally been speaking of. "I was attempting to discover the depth of your feelings for MOMO. Your eyes don't follow her when she's in the vicinity as they do when Ms. Uzuki is near. Based upon the level of satisfaction I was reading from you, I knew it had to be someone new, and she was the logical choice based upon what I've seen."

"Dammit to hell, Gaignun!" Jr. swore. "Would you stop observing me so damn closely? Jesus, there's nothing like having your baby brother tell you he knew you wanted to f-" He cut himself off, coughing in embarrassment. "Forget what I was just saying, okay? Look, I'm gonna go. Just make sure you're here in the afternoon for that thing you're making me have for Albedo. Since it was your idea, it'd be nice of you to show up for it."

"I've already stated my intention on being there. And now, I'll allow you to return to something far more pleasurable than chatting with me." Gaignun ended the transmission before Jr. could do more than sputter angrily.

"Bastard thinks he knows me so fuckin' well," Jr. muttered, scowling. He returned to the bed to see Shion was still deeply asleep. While he knew he'd have to awaken her soon if he was to keep another of his promises, he was reluctant to see her awaken from her peaceful slumber. "Just a little bit longer," he said quietly. "I'll be back in a few minutes to wake you up." He smoothed the hair out of her face and then left the room. He removed a pack of cigarettes from the pocket of his robe and shook one out. After lighting it, he leaned back against the wall as he inhaled deeply. Blowing the smoke out in small O's, he cursed when he heard his name being called softly. Eyebrows drawing together in confusion, he awaited the small Realian headed toward him. "MOMO, what are you doing up? It's either really late or really early, but no matter how you wanna look at it, you should be sleeping."

She glanced at the smoke swirling around him. "I didn't realize you smoked, Jr.," she said with wide golden eyes.

He stubbed the cigarette out hastily. "Yeah, well, I don't smoke much." He focused his attention on her. "So, how come you're wandering around?"

"I couldn't sleep," she said furtively, looking around as if she expected her bodyguard and father-figure, Ziggy, to appear. "I came across Allen as I was headed to Shion's room, and he told me she had gone for a walk. She couldn't sleep, either, he said. So I was actually looking for her, but I haven't run across her yet. I'm happy I met up with you, though," she said with a smile, laying a hand on his right arm. "How are you feeling, Jr.?"

He forcibly restrained his instinctive response. He wasn't about to go into a towering rage with MOMO the way he had with Shion. He knew it was only a question asked because she cared for him. "I'm okay," he lied. "I've had better days, yeah, but this isn't anything I can't handle. I know you're worried about me, but you don't have to be." He laid his left hand over hers and squeezed.

"I hate seeing you so sad," she said quietly, and he looked away. "I wish I could do something for you."

"Thanks, MOMO," he replied just as quietly. "I think I'm going to head back to bed, though, if you're okay with that. How about you do the same?"

"I guess I'll have to," she sighed. "I really thought I'd run into Shion…" Her golden eyes met his blue ones. "You haven't seen her in the time you've been out here, have you? Maybe I just missed her?"

Her innocent query caught Jr. off-guard because he simply hadn't been expecting it. He coughed a few times to cover his initial reaction before shaking his head. "Can't say I have, MOMO." His throat nearly closed up on his second lie to her that night. While he didn't possess the feelings for MOMO that he was aware she had for him, lying to her about not having seen Shion wasn't something he enjoyed doing. Hearing the truth would hurt her far worse, however, and he tried to derive a small measure of comfort from that thought. "I don't think you'll meet her, since the _Durandal_ is a pretty massive ship. It'd be better if you just went back to your room for the night. I'd walk you back," he said, feeling the guilt slicing through him, "but I don't think it'd be a good idea to run across the old man with me wearing just a robe."

MOMO giggled, quickly bringing a hand to her mouth to stifle the sound. "I don't want to wake anyone up," she confided. She reached over to hug him, and he slid his arms around her in a return embrace. "Good night, Jr.," she told him softly after they'd stepped back from one another.

He raised his hand in a farewell as she moved away from him and down the ramp. Once she'd disappeared from his sight, he hurried back into his room. Seeing Shion comfortably curled up in his bed should have magnified the guilty feeling the conversation with MOMO had left him with; it instead had him coming to a halt beside the bed and staring down at the sleeping brunette tenderly. Sitting down beside her, he allowed himself a minute or two of just watching her sleep before gently shaking her shoulder. "Time to wake up, Shion," he said, leaning down to bring his mouth close to her ear.

She made a soft, sleepy noise and turned toward him. "Mmmm, I guess I'll have to be getting back," she whispered.

"Yeah, unless you want to answer a bunch of awkward questions when you leave my room in the morning," he replied. He gave into his impulse to stroke his thumb over her lips, and she sighed and moved into a sitting position, pulling the covers up with her.

"Jr.…" She trailed off into silence as she looked away from him.

"It's okay to say it, Shion," he told her gently.

Her eyes returned to his face, and he was surprised to see a shimmer of tears within them. "What happened tonight doesn't mean…" She started to lift a hand to his face before seeming to think better of it. "This was…"

"I know what it was," he said, and there was no bitterness in his voice. "You were looking for a way to comfort me. I wasn't expecting anything out of it. You made me forget for a while, and I'm always gonna be grateful to you for that."

"Do you think it's possible for us to go back to the way we were before we did this?" she asked sadly.

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "I don't wanna analyze it right now, though. I've got something I need to ask you. It's going to put you in a spot you probably won't like, and I won't blame you if you tell me to get the fuck away from you after I say it."

"I don't think I'll be saying that, since I don't talk like you do," she said, a prim note entering her voice.

He laughed, but he soon grew serious. "I haven't said anything to anyone, but Gaignun conned me into having some kind of memorial thing for Albedo. Will you come to it?"

An immediate negative reply bubbled in her throat, but she contained it. She knew he was aware of her distaste for funerals and graves, considering that he'd been there when she'd fought with Jin about going to visit their parents' graves. She also knew Jr. was struggling far more than he wanted anyone to see. It was that very knowledge that caused her to nod, surprising him. "I'll come," she said simply.

After a bit of a search, Jr. was able to locate all of Shion's clothing. After turning away to give her privacy to redress, he walked with her to the door. She opened her mouth to say something, and then her shoulders slumped. "Good night, Jr.," she finally said in a quiet tone.

"Do you want me to walk you back?" he asked, already knowing what her answer would be.

She shook her head. "I'll be fine going back on my own." A peculiar expression crossed her face, and then she leaned down to kiss him quickly on the cheek. "I don't regret what happened tonight." She was gone before he had a chance to reply. At a loss after that, he made his way back to his bed and fell into a dreamless sleep almost immediately.

Breakfast was in full swing when he arrived the next morning. He noticed right away how quiet Shion was being, and how Allen was attempting to draw her into conversation. He watched her wave him away irritably. Checking his impulse to move in her direction, he stopped in front of everyone, wondering if what he was about to do was a good idea. _Just do it and get it the hell over with. Better that way._ He demanded everyone's attention and then spoke up. "I really don't want to be doing this, but I figure I'll give everyone a choice. Gaignun conned me into having some kind of service for Albedo. It's gonna be in the park at noon. Anyone wants to come, they can. It ain't gonna be fancy," he warned. Deciding against waiting to see what everyone would say, he made his way over to grab some breakfast.

Noon came quickly, and Jr. was occupying himself looking out into space while waiting to see who might show up. He allowed fifteen minutes to pass by, delaying the inevitable, and decided only Gaignun and the Godwin sisters would be there. He stepped forward, feeling slightly silly, and then he saw Shion enter the park. She walked up to him and said quietly, "I'm sorry I'm late. The others are coming, too. I promised you, and I wasn't about to break that promise."

Jr. couldn't think of an answer, so he contented himself with the fact that she was there. It wasn't long before he saw Allen, chaos, Jin, Ziggy and MOMO enter the park as well. He hadn't really expected KOS-MOS to come, considering what she was. He saw how uncomfortable MOMO was, and he really couldn't blame her. She'd suffered horribly at Albedo's hands, and he would have understood if she'd stayed away. Needing to get it over with, he started the small service by saying a few words about the brother he'd begun to feel he'd never understood. Feeling the emotion overcoming him, he handed it over to Gaignun and fled the park without saying another word to anyone.

He took the transport and ended up wandering the corridors of the Residential Area. With the mood he was in, he didn't want to return to his room. He didn't want to look at the bed where he'd made love to Shion. It would just be a painful reminder of something else he couldn't have. He'd lost his other half, killed Albedo like his brother had wanted him to. Now the thought of facing memories of last night with Shion was wreaking mental havoc on him as well. He slammed a fist into the wall in anger, barely feeling the pain that shot up his arm immediately after. He slid to the floor, dropping his head to his knees.

He was still in that position when Shion found him. She'd followed after him right away, hopping on board the next transporter. She didn't know how she'd known he'd be where he was, but she'd felt it was better to follow her instinct rather than question it. "Jr.?" she said softly, approaching him warily. She could already feel the tension rolling off him in waves.

He lifted his head, his blue-eyed gaze stabbing into her. "Shion, if there's going to be even a fucking chance of us going back to what we were before, you need to turn around and go. I appreciate that you came after me, but I'm in a real violent mood right now. Too many damn thoughts in my head pissing me off and making me see a whole bunch of red."

"I don't think it's good that I leave you like this!" she cried. She took a few steps closer, and he leapt to his feet.

"I'm not asking you to go, Shion! I'm **telling** you that you need to go and leave me the hell alone!" Without waiting for a response, he darted away from her, leaving her to cover her face with her hands and sink to the floor in his place.

The following morning, the group of friends was gathered on the dock, preparing to say goodbye. Allen, Shion and KOS-MOS were headed back to the _Dämmerung_, and so the _Elsa_ would drop them off there. MOMO and Ziggy were taking the transport down to Second Miltia to meet up with Juli Mizrahi. The only one missing from the group was Jr. No one except Shion had seen him since he'd raced from the park, and she hadn't seen him since their brief conversation in the hallway of the residential area. MOMO was looking distinctly upset. "Do you think maybe he's not coming to say goodbye, Shion?" she asked sadly.

Shion hugged her, a pang of guilt stabbing through her. Steeling herself against it so that MOMO wouldn't sense her unease, she shook her head. "I think maybe he's just running late, MOMO. He'll be here to say goodbye."

The transport arrived almost in answer to Shion's words, and Jr. walked onto the platform, his hands stuck deeply in his pockets. "Sorry I'm late," he muttered. "Time got away from me." He and Jin passed perfunctory words of goodbye between one another, and then Jr. nodded at chaos. "Keep the crew out of trouble, okay? And try to keep them from ruining Jin, since he's determined to stay with you guys."

chaos smiled, his eyes serene. "Of course, Jr. I'll admit it's a little difficult sometimes, but someone has to do it, right?" He and Jin headed into the _Elsa_ to await the remaining three traveling on the ship for a short time.

MOMO turned to Jr. with a bright smile. "I'll see you again soon, Jr.! I'm happy you came to say goodbye. I was worried you might have forgotten…"

Jr.'s gaze slid off to the side. "Nah, I just overslept. Yesterday was kinda rough, and I needed to sleep it off. I wouldn't forget about saying goodbye, MOMO." Forcing his gaze to return to her, he returned her smile a bit weakly.

"If you need to talk, you know you can contact me any time. I'm not sure where I'll be yet, but once I know, I'll tell you. We can't lose touch with each other just because we have to separate for a while." She directed the statement at those still on the platform before looking up at Ziggy. "Are you ready to go, Ziggy?"

He nodded. "Yes, MOMO. It appears as though the transport has returned, so we should be on our way. I will let her know of what we spoke about, Jr.," he said quietly, and Jr. gave a quick nod.

"Then I'll see you soon, old man. Take care of her for now." After hugging the small Realian, Jr. watched both her and her protector board the elevator that would take them to the transport before facing the three people remaining. "I'm trusting you to look after Shion and KOS-MOS, Allen." He choked back the guilt that was rising in his throat as he spoke to Allen, because he knew Allen, at the very least, cared very deeply for Shion.

"It's not the easiest job," Allen replied with a long-suffering sigh, "but it's one I know pretty well. See ya soon, Jr."

KOS-MOS merely nodded in Jr.'s direction and boarded the _Elsa_ without a word. Jr. shook his head. "An android of few words," he joked before his eyes met Shion's. "Can I talk to you alone for a minute, Shion?"

Shion glanced toward Allen, who looked slightly confused as he turned back to face them. "Are you sure that's necessary?" she asked, her voice cool.

"Yeah, I am. I'll bring her back in a few, Allen," Jr. tossed at Allen, who nodded in a confused sort of way. Jr. set off followed by a stiff-backed Shion, and he led her into the corner of the platform where they could talk without anyone overhearing. "Look, I'm sorry about the way I went off on you in the hallway," he told her. "I was dealing with too much shit at that point, and I just wanted to be alone. I could have said it in a decent way, though, and I know that."

"I was just looking to try and help, Jr.," she replied, and there was a petulant note in her voice that made him smile for some reason.

"I know you were," he said gently. "It just wasn't the right time then. I was busy thinking about Albedo, and also about you and what had happened that night. I couldn't deal with going back to my room, and I couldn't deal with looking at you, either."

While the two of them were busy talking in soft whispers, a curious Allen had crept closer and now hovered by the wall. He'd sensed the tension in his beloved Chief, and he had no clue why or how it could apply to Jr. His innate need to protect her had arisen, and that was what was causing him to attempt eavesdropping when he wasn't the sort to do so. He leaned back against the wall, listening intently.

"Why is now any different?" Shion asked Jr., averting her eyes so he couldn't see the hurt in them.

"Because I'm fucking emotioned out, Shion. I've been sad, and pissed, and lonely, and a ton of other damn things I can't even explain. And I don't want you thinking that I regret what happened, or that I'm pissed off with you that it did. I don't, and I'm not. I didn't want us parting on bad terms because of my goddamn stupidity," he sighed.

"Good," she said with a misty smile, "because despite your stupidity, I don't regret that it happened, either. You needed comfort, and I'm hoping I gave it to you."

Allen's blue eyes widened, and he had to cover his mouth to contain the instinctive cry that had risen to his lips. Although Jr. and the Chief were dancing around with the wording, he knew what they were talking about. The thought of the Chief being with Jr. in that way was causing him to feel physically ill. Floundering, he pounced on the one thing he'd gleaned was most important. _She was doing it to comfort Jr.__ She knew he was agonizing over the__ fact that he'd__ had to kill Albedo__, and it's her nature to comfort people when they're hurting. It doesn't have to mean there's anything between them. Listen close, and find out for sure!_

"All right, I'd better let you get back to Allen. He's probably wondering what the hell could be taking us so long," Jr. said in a normal tone of voice. Allen heard his thick-soled cowboy boots tapping their way toward him, but then the sound stopped. "How come you're looking at me like that?"

"It's nothing, Jr. Let's hurry back to Allen. He worries too much as it is, and if we stay much longer, he's bound to come looking for us. Besides, I've taken enough time off. I need to get back to the _Dämmerung_ and start catching up." The sound of her shoes was added to the sound of Jr.'s, and Allen pushed away from the wall to rush back to the center of the platform.

Neither Jr. nor Shion seemed to take note that Allen was out of breath or how pale he was when they joined him, and Jr. waved to Allen and Shion as they boarded the _Elsa_. He watched until the ship was out of sight before deciding to head back to his room to lose himself in playing with the new puppy he'd obtained in memory of Albedo. Of course, he was never planning to admit to that fact publicly, despite bestowing the name of "Alby" upon the white-furred, purple-eyed animal.

--- A year later, when everyone comes together aboard the _Durandal_ for the mission to recover KOS-MOS ---

After Juli had told them of her plan to have them recover KOS-MOS, Shion collapsed without warning. She was thoroughly checked over, and the medics pronounced they could find no cause other than exhaustion. Allen kept an eye on her, but she still wasn't awake when he ran into Jin outside her room. Jin gently advised him to head off to sleep, and Allen left without much argument. When he returned not much later, he found the Chief was awake and had company in the form of Jr. "You're awake, Chief! How do you feel?" He nodded to Jr., who glanced at Shion.

"Anyway, I'm gonna go. It's good to see you're awake and feeling better. Once you're on your feet, we'll get started on recovering KOS-MOS." Jr. left with a nod to Allen.

After a very long year of wondering what might happen when the Chief and Jr. met again, Allen felt an intense relief. There had been no suspicious glances or strange vibes from either of them. Instead, he'd simply walked in on a friend checking up on another friend. His exhaustion faded away, and he hurried to the Chief's side to make sure she didn't try to overdo things before she was ready. Once she'd irritably reassured him she could walk on her own, he let her know he'd be going on ahead to the facility to check on things. It was with a much lighter heart that he left the room to prepare for the KOS-MOS recovery mission.

**Author's note 2 – **So I wanted to connect what happened in this fic to Episode III if I could. That's why that last, little bit pops up. Besides, in my world, it explains why Jr. is so darn overprotective of Shion in III, and why he reacts so strongly to Kevin. : P


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note – **Okay, so I honestly thought I was done with this story! However, I had a couple of ideas rolling around in my head due to Jr.'s reactions in III, so I'm going to give it another chapter. Allen is so going to kill me for ruining his relief at the end of that last chapter…

--- In the forest after the KOS-MOS and T-elos fight ---

Jr. shook his head as he came to, trying to figure out his surroundings. "Everyone okay?" he asked, getting to his feet.

MOMO gave a soft moan, and Ziggy bent down to check on her. chaos and Jin got to their feet soundlessly, glancing around. "It seems we are missing a part of our group," Jin noted, the casual note in his voice belying the quiet panic in his emerald eyes. "Shion and KOS-MOS don't appear to be anywhere close to our proximity."

Jr. lifted his head to meet Jin's gaze as he'd also bent down to check on MOMO. "Shit, where could they be? I don't think KOS-MOS was moving on her own after that fight, anyway," he muttered, and a pained expression crossed chaos' face at his words. "I think we need to let MOMO get her bearings, and then we can figure out where we are. After that, we're scoping the area for Shion." His tone left no room for argument, and they talked quietly amongst themselves as each threw out ideas as to where they could have ended up after the fight.

Some distance away from them, Shion awoke, sitting up and lifting a hand to her forehead. "Oh, where am I?" She made a quick, visual sweep of the area, taking in the strange familiarity of it. She recalled all that had happened during the fight with KOS-MOS and T-elos and glanced around wildly. "KOS-MOS!" Seeing she was completely and utterly alone, she hauled herself to her feet, determined to find KOS-MOS and the others. She walked for some time, finding it strange that she had yet to run across anyone else, before she heard a sudden yell.

"Don't move!" She barely had a chance to look up before there was a rush of air and sound, and she found herself pinned to the ground. Unable to turn her head, she heard two familiar voices: chaos' and MOMO's, both telling Jr. to wait because it wasn't an enemy he'd attacked.

"Jr., what are you doing?!" she demanded to know, and he looked down at her with a rueful grin.

"I kind of thought you were an enemy, Shion," he replied, trying to ignore the feelings being so near to her had aroused in him. It had been a year since he'd even touched her, and being above her in such a manner was causing him to remember things he had thought he'd forgotten long ago. His hand itched to slide into her hair, and he forcibly reined in the impulse. _Shit, I thought I buried these feelings… How come just knocking her to the ground and basically treating her like an enemy until I realized who she was is doing all this to me? Come on, pull yourself together, dammit!_ His thoughts didn't seem to be helping, considering he was watching her open mouth at that point and wanting to lower his head to kiss her thoroughly.

"Do you mind getting off me?" she snapped, breaking the mood. She glared up at him from her position on the ground, and he shoved a hand into his hair.

"Uh, sorry, wasn't thinking," he mumbled and hopped to his feet. He thought about reaching out his hand to help her to her feet, but the annoyed sigh she heaved caused him to step back without doing so. Once she'd climbed to her feet, Jin and Ziggy jumped down from their respective hiding places. Jin had a bit of a smirk on his face as he landed. Shion didn't seem to notice, and Jr. was too preoccupied with calming the feelings she'd roused in him as he spoke to her about what the group had discovered without her.

After dealing with the shock of seeing an undamaged Labyrinthos and coming across a wounded Lieutenant Virgil, they'd brought him to the church. Following his organ transplant thanks to Febronia, everyone but Jin and MOMO, who were involved in the surgery, waited out in the church itself for news regarding how the surgery had gone. Jr. kept a healthy distance from Shion, worried that the feelings he'd managed to bury again would present themselves in a way he couldn't control. He was already floundering slightly because of the thought that the White Testament they'd seen could be Albedo; he didn't want to add to that inner turmoil. chaos stepped inside the room at some point to see if he could be of any assistance, leaving Jr. with Shion and Ziggy as company. There was also little Shion, and Jr. watched Shion's eyes follow her younger self. Just as she was about to say something, Jin emerged from the makeshift operating room, and all eyes turned to him.

"The transplant seems to have worked from what we're able to tell at this point," he said in answer to their unspoken question. "Both patients appear to be doing well." He turned to head back into the room, and Shion followed in his wake. Jr. and Ziggy glanced at one another, and then they made their way toward the room as well.

Once it had been established that Febronia would rest for a while and then return to Labyrinthos, little Shion rushed into the room with news of a green ship that she'd seen, which had to be the _Elsa_. "It looks like we'll be heading toward the caves then. Thank you for telling us, Shion," Shion told the little girl, who giggled and nodded.

It took them a bit of time to reach the caves, where they were stopped by an elderly man thinking they were from U-TIC. After setting him straight, he allowed them to pass through the caves, where they encountered fights with strange, biological creatures and U-TIC soldiers. They split up into two separate parties, to keep everyone fresh and ready to fight. Jr. found it odd that Shion seemed to want him with her, since his party had always consisted of him, MOMO and Ziggy before. Jin rounded out their party, leaving chaos to fight beside MOMO and Ziggy. Fighting beside Shion was causing Jr.'s attention to wander slightly, and twice he'd been knocked unconscious by attacks he should have anticipated. While MOMO's team fought the next wave of soldiers, Shion hissed to Jr., "What's wrong with you? I've never seen you fight like this."

Aware Jin was within hearing distance, Jr. returned, "I've got a helluva lot on my mind, Shion! Did you even notice how much that Testament sounded like Albedo?"

Shion seemed to back off slightly. "I'm sorry. I wasn't even thinking about that." Her green eyes met his blue ones in a piercing stare almost immediately after the apology. "Still, you have to keep your eyes open, Jr. You can't let yourself be taken unaware like you have been."

Stung, he snapped, "You mean like you did when I jumped you in the forest? You weren't paying too much attention at that point, either!"

She didn't dignify that with a response, choosing instead to hop to her feet and continue on ahead. He cursed himself for allowing his temper to dictate his answer to her and chose to fall behind. They encountered no more battles after they had entered a certain section of the caves, instead finding a contraption called the Wild Roller Coaster. "I am not getting on that thing," Shion said, backing away.

"Then how do you plan on getting across?" Jin asked sensibly. "If we waste time climbing down, we'll need to cross the river below, and then we'll need to climb back up. It's far easier if we simply take turns using this until we're all across."

Ziggy stepped forward. "To ensure the safety of the mechanism, I will cross first. If it can bear my weight, you'll all have no issues following." He placed a hand on the swing-like apparatus and pushed off. They all watched as he landed a short time later, each breathing a silent sigh of relief.

chaos was chosen to proceed second, followed by Jin. Jr. would watch over MOMO and Shion as they crossed and finally cross once Shion had landed safely. "Okay, Shion, it's your turn," he told her, his tone subdued.

She seemed to struggle with what she wanted to say to him in answer. "I'll see you on the other side," she finally said, and he nodded.

He watched her take hold of the swing, his eyes wandering over her and taking in, once again, the form-fitting purple-pink shorts she was wearing. _Damn, she looks good in those… Focus, idiot, focus. You aren't gonna be much good to her if you're checking out her ass and not paying attention to what she's doing! _Shaking his head, he emptied his mind of any thoughts not related to keeping her safe and kept his eyes on her until she'd made it across. After they'd sent the swing back, he grabbed on and started across. He let out a shout of alarm when he was nearly there, caught off-guard by the blue mech flashing by. Hopping off the swing nimbly, he glanced up to see it head into a tunnel above them.

"I'm guessing that would be Leupold," Jin said, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "That might very well mean we'll be running into Mai soon." The group set off into the next section of the caves, keeping alert for any signs of Mai and Leupold.

Having met up with the young teenager, who ignored their insistence that they weren't related to U-TIC, they found themselves in battle with both her and Leupold. The team fighting them interchanged often, but they were finally able to wear Leupold down with Ether and physical attacks. Finding herself alone, Mai became enraged and stepped up her attacks. Shion fell to the might of her hammer, causing Jr. to attack her mercilessly while MOMO used healing Ether upon Shion. Once Shion had returned to her battle stance, Jin took MOMO's place, and together with Jr., took Mai down.

Mai finally pointed them in the direction of the _Elsa_, and they began to make their way toward the tunnel she'd indicated. "Jesus, think she was a little stubborn and aggressive?" Jr. complained. "Kind of reminds me of someone else…" His gaze met Shion's, and her eyebrows drew together.

"Is there a reason you're looking at me?" she asked before turning away and walking off. chaos and Jr. exchanged looks before following after her. Jin, MOMO and Ziggy weren't far behind them, and the group quickly headed into the ship when it came into sight to check on the people aboard it.

After discovering that KOS-MOS had been far too damaged in the fight with T-elos to be repaired, Shion was at a loss. No one seemed able to approach her for long, and she spent much of her time within KOS-MOS' maintenance room. Allen discovered her there once again after the Professor spoke to them about the missing Vessels of Anima. "Chief, are you okay?" he said quietly.

"I'm just wondering if this is really Miltia, Allen. How could it possibly be?" she replied with a shake of her head.

They spoke of the data MOMO had gathered, indicating it could be nothing but Miltia fifteen years ago. Allen suggested she go rest for a while, and she decided she'd take a trip to the city to relax. Although that hadn't been what Allen had intended for her to do, his usual protective streak appeared and he insisted upon accompanying her. They made some interesting discoveries while they were there, the most important of all being a possible way to repair KOS-MOS. When they spoke of it to him, the Professor wasn't positive that the repairs would definitely cause KOS-MOS to reboot, but he was thrilled to have a chance to study her at the very least. He ordered Jr. and Shion from the room, and when Allen tried to leave with them, the Professor gave one of his strange laughs. "Did you honestly think you were escaping?" he chortled. "I need your help, and that means you go nowhere!"

Allen glanced back at Jr. and the Chief, feeling slightly uneasy. He didn't know why, because he'd felt nothing suspicious from either of them, but he couldn't seem to shake the feeling despite that. "All right," he agreed reluctantly. "I guess I'll see you two later." They barely took the time to nod at him and left the room, and he shook his head, trying to pay attention to the work at hand.

"Hey, I may not really trust that old man, but I think he'll get KOS-MOS going again," Jr. said to Shion in the hallway leading to the elevator. They'd walked along silently for a time, each unsure of what to say to the other.

"It's all I want, Jr. I need KOS-MOS to wake up again. I didn't do anything to help her during that fight with T-elos, so it's my fault she's like that. She was trying to protect me," Shion whispered, coming to a halt.

"You can't blame yourself," he said softly, stepping closer to her. "She did what she had to, what she needed to. We all protect people we care about, and KOS-MOS isn't any different. She's gonna be okay, Shion. I know she will."

"Thank you," she told him, her emerald eyes sparkling with unshed tears. She blinked hard, and when she opened them again, they were clear. "How about we get up to the lounge to try that game and give them some time to work on her?"

"As long as the goddamn thing doesn't blow up on us…" he muttered, and she laughed. They moved into the elevator and headed toward the lounge once they stepped off on the upper level. After a few rounds spent playing _HaKox_, Shion turned to Jr., MOMO and Ziggy. Jr. seemed shocked that the upgrades the Professor and Scott had made to the game had actually resulted in them all having fun. "Guess I gotta give 'em credit where credit's due," he said with a chuckle.

Ziggy asked Shion seriously, "Are you feeling better after that? Less stressed?"

She nodded. "Yes, I really am. In fact, I think I'm just going to take a bit of a nap. I'm sorry I've been worrying all of you lately."

Jr.'s voice was quiet when he answered. "That'd be what friends do, Shion. Don't forget we're always here for you, okay?" The words sounded a little hollow to him when he considered the feelings that were refusing to stay buried when he was around her. His eyes followed the brunette as she left the lounge, and it took MOMO a few tugs on the sleeve of his jacket to get his attention. "Sorry, MOMO," he apologized. "Just busy thinking about some stuff…" She appeared to accept his answer, and they sat down at one of the booths while Ziggy remained standing, looking alert.

Jr. left after a while to go and talk to Matthews and Tony down in the gunroom, trusting in Ziggy to keep watch over MOMO. Jin had come into the lounge as he was leaving. He'd nodded to Shion's brother, finding it a little odd when the black-haired man gave him an appraising look. As he and Tony were talking, something akin to an explosion rocked the ship. He and Tony glanced at one another, and then both were rushing from the gunroom toward the source of the sound. They hurried into the E.S. hangar, guns out and blazing as they realized the Black Testament had somehow managed to make it onto the ship. Matthews was right behind them, accompanying their attacks with an assault rifle of his own. chaos and Scott picked up the fallen Professor and moved toward the door with him.

Ziggy and Jin entered the hangar, and Jr. started as Ziggy laid a hand on his shoulder. "Old man, I don't think -"

"I'm capable of being calm where Voyager is concerned." Ziggy overrode Jr.'s words before moving forward to address the Black Testament. He attempted to discover why Voyager was there, until Voyager threw a blast of energy toward him. Jin managed to ward it off, but Ziggy jumped over him and into the energy field surrounding Voyager. The force of the contact sent Ziggy flying backward, where he collapsed on the floor.

Jr. cried out, "Old man!" as he saw Ziggy fall, and then his attention was distracted by Shion's voice asking if he was all right. He turned his head quickly and waved an arm. "Shion, we're good! Stay the hell out there!"

"The Black Testament…" she breathed, and then her eyes moved over the object he was carrying. "KOS-MOS!" With that cry, she hurled herself over chaos, Scott and the Professor, her intended target the Black Testament. His hand came up almost lazily, stopping her in the air above him. He tilted his hand slightly, and Shion's head moved with it. She gave a tiny cry at the pain the position was causing her.

Jr. was in agony watching the display, not knowing that very agony was mirrored in Allen. Allen was rooted in place in the doorway, his hands on MOMO's shoulders. Jr. thought, _Oh, shit, he's going to break her neck! What the hell am I supposed to do?! _He'd just determined to make some sort of move when the Hilbert Effect began to ripple through the hangar. His eyes widened in shock as he saw the hand on Voyager's arm, and he realized that KOS-MOS had indeed awoken.

The battle with Voyager was a difficult one, but with KOS-MOS' awakening, it gave the entire party an added boost to defeat him. He was called back by a mysterious voice, and he disappeared after issuing a soft threat to Ziggy. Shion hurried to hug KOS-MOS, happy to see her up and functioning again. During the embrace, Shion's eyes began to roll up, and she lolled bonelessly in KOS-MOS' arms. Everyone cried out at the sight, and Jr. instinctively made his way toward Shion. He was brought to a halt by Jin, who lifted Shion up into his arms. "I'll take her back to her room," he said tersely. "I'll keep an eye on her until she awakens." Jr. could do nothing more than follow Jin's progress out of the hangar with his eyes, the worry he felt for Shion intensifying now that she'd collapsed again.

When everyone returned to the lounge, Jr. took to pacing back and forth as they waited for news of Shion's health. He saw Allen disappear into the kitchen and reappear not much later, carrying a bowl. While Jr. knew Allen had every right and, if he was to be perfectly honest with himself, more of a reason to be checking up on Shion, he couldn't stop the small feeling of resentment that curled up in his stomach. The others seemed to sense that Jr. was in no mood to be approached and left him to his pacing. He came to a halt when Jin entered the lounge, looking somewhat harried. "It seems my sister fainted from exhaustion, but she's now returned to her rather frustrating self. Once she manages to grab hold of her senses again, it would be prudent to figure out a course of action." Simply hearing that Shion was conscious and obviously causing Jin the usual amount of stress had Jr. breathing a silent sigh of relief.

Shion made an appearance to suggest a meeting down in the gunroom. Once the group had gathered, she suggested the idea of heading toward Labyrinthos to thieve away the Vessels of Anima stored there. The idea was agreed upon, because the E.S.s were needed in any case. Since coming to this world, the Vessels of Anima had mysteriously disappeared from the four E.S.s. With Shion's plan, the E.S.s could finally become useable again. The party set out immediately, heading toward Labyrinthos. They used Allen's and Shion's forged I.D.s to get by the guards but encountered resistance at the actual entrance to Labyrinthos itself. Once inside, they became involved in many battles but had no real problems defeating any of the enemies.

Finally arriving at the area where the Vessels of Anima were stored, the Professor became enamored with the setup, whistling appreciatively. The others took the elevator down to where the holding area was, and a discussion upon why the E.S.s were there ensued. The Professor arrived in time to take some strange offense to a comment Jr. made, raising his wrench and giving Jr. a thump to the head with it. Not expecting the blow, Jr. folded at the middle, clutching his hands to his head and seeing stars. Shion turned to the Professor with an annoyed look. "Could you not do that, please?" she snapped. "We need Jr. to remain on his feet, if you don't mind." Her green eyes briefly met Jr.'s pain-filled blue ones, and an odd sensation zipped through him at her visual acknowledgment. He tamped down on the feeling to concentrate on having the _Asher_ returned to a functioning E.S. without an actual Vessel of Anima.

With the Erde Kaiser generator installed, the _Asher_ took its place next to its fellow E.S.s. It was time to leave the storage area, due to the Professor and Scott alerting U-TIC to intruders with their attempt to fix the _Asher_. Battles with grounded and airborne mechs ensued, but they were able to make it past them. Jr. let out a whoop when he realized they could finally leave. "C'mon and let's get the hell outta here!" he cried.

Immediately after, a screen popped up in front of Shion in the E.S. _Dinah_, and she asked KOS-MOS what the screen was for. KOS-MOS replied, "It would appear we are able to intercept transmissions from the enemy. Would it be helpful if I adjusted it so we could overhear what is transpiring around us?" When Shion agreed, KOS-MOS did so instantly, and Shion heard of plans to move her mother. A need to go to her unprotected mother's side arose in her, and she jumped out of the _Dinah_ without a second thought. She pressed the button to call for the elevator as KOS-MOS asked in concern, "Where are you going, Shion? Please, would it not be wise for me to accompany you?"

Jr. had gone ahead in the _Asher_, and it took chaos calling out his name to draw his attention to what was going on behind him. "Shit, Shion, where the hell are you going?" he shouted, already looking to move back toward her.

chaos cried out, "Jr., we can't!"

Jr. followed his gaze and had the _Asher_ neatly sidestep the beam of energy that had just been tossed at it. Furious at the distraction that was keeping him from chasing after Shion, he yelled to the others, "Let's get rid of this goddamn thing quickly!"

The fight with the strange-looking mech took longer than they'd anticipated, and they were all surprised it was still functioning at the end of the battle. It made a swift retreat before they could engage it again, and Jin asked KOS-MOS what Shion's position within Labyrinthos was. She answered calmly, "She is within the Thirteenth Administration wing."

Jr.'s insistence that they would get her back was tempered by an influx of enemy mobile units looking to fight the intruders and subdue them. The fighting was intense, and everyone looked to Jr. to recommend a retreat. He bit his lip as he continued to fight, unwilling to just abandon Shion. Every line of his body was tense in a need to jump out of the _Asher_ and follow after Shion. Ziggy and Jin were shouting to him that they needed to leave before things became any worse, and he swore soundly. _I don't have a choice, Shion. I've gotta protect the others. _He gave the order for retreat and told everyone they were to head back to the _Elsa_. He paused for a few seconds at the drop-off of the area, causing chaos to look down at him in surprise, and then he directed the _Asher_ in following after the others.

Febronia met MOMO outside of the _Elsa_, and MOMO led her inside so Febronia could inform the occupants that Shion had unfortunately been captured by U-TIC. Jr. contained his rage at the thought, but his fury was directed at himself for having left without her. It was established that since the Miltian Conflict was about to start, they could use the ensuing chaos as a cover for rescuing Shion. Jin turned to Allen and laid a hand on his shoulder. "You're of course coming with us," he stated, and Allen gave him a disbelieving look.

"Me? What do you think I can do?" he cried.

Jin responded, "She'll need someone who's capable of supporting her."

Allen nodded. "Then I'm coming," he answered simply.

Jr. shot Allen a hard look that Allen missed seeing, having turned away to head off the bridge. He wasn't particularly happy about Allen joining them, since he didn't trust in Allen's fighting capabilities. Once they reached Labyrinthos and engaged the U-TIC soldiers in battle, his fears of Allen not being able to handle himself in actual battle became realized. He watched, shaking his head, as Allen fell to the floor after firing the crossbow he'd been given as a weapon. He finished up the battle and turned to Allen with a scowl. "Look, could you try staying on your damn feet?" he growled. "Forgive the pun, but you're a sitting duck if you're going to be flat on your ass all of the time!"

"I didn't ask for this damn weapon!" Allen snapped back. "Hammer handed it to me on the way out, so I'm stuck. I'd be more comfortable with an assault rifle or something!" He glared at Jr., who took a step back.

_Is it just me, or is there a little more heat in that glare than him just being pissed I said something about his fighting abilities? _Jr. wondered. He watched Allen turn away from him, and then he shook his head at himself. _I've gotta be imagining things. Not like Allen could know Shion came to me that night. Only other damn person who knows I had sex with her is Gaignun, and he wasn't rushing to tell anyone. Who the hell even knows where __**he**__ is right now, anyway?_

They were finally able to reach the room where Shion was being held captive, but they had to fight a younger version of Pellegri before they were able to get to her. Once Shion was returned to the group, they hurried toward the church. Suou had asked Shion to save little Shion, and she was intent on doing so. Unfortunately, they arrived too late to save Febronia from being killed by berserk Realians. It led to an encounter with the Blue Testament, who had been revealed as Lieutenant Virgil before they'd come to this world. After the ensuing battle, he disappeared with Febronia when she was able to convince him she wished to free him of all his suffering.

Having been told by the Virgil in this world that he'd sent little Shion back toward the hospital, they set off in pursuit of her. They found her being surrounded by berserk Realians in front of the old transport gate. They disposed of the threat, and Shion made the decision that they would continue on to the hospital as little Shion wanted to do. When they arrived, everything seemed to go downhill. Little Shion rushed away from them, causing Shion to attempt running after her. They were stopped time after time by berserk Realians and more of the strange biological creatures from the mine. By the time they were able to reach Shion's mother's room, it appeared to be too late. The Asura-27s had already attacked.

The sight of seeing her parents so violently murdered by the prototype Realians pushed Shion over the edge, and she threw herself into battle with them. The others joined her, and they were able to get rid of the Realians. Little Shion was beside herself and attempting to deal with her mother's death but failing. Unable to stand the pain of what was happening, she got to her feet and let out a long shriek of despair. Before everyone's eyes, the Gnosis appeared, and Shion fell into shock at the reality she was facing. The shock overcame her, and she began to beg for someone to tell her it was all a lie. She rushed from Jin to Ziggy, and Jr. watched her silently, wishing he could step forward to take her in his arms to soothe her. Her wail of terror and anguish caused her to resonate with little Shion, and Abel's Ark appeared.

chaos explained to the group what had been intended and that the entire world was within Shion's mind. A mysterious voice was heard, agreeing with chaos' words and pointing out that it had indeed been Shion who called the Gnosis as a child. It told them that the resonance between both Shions had been needed to call the Ark into existence. The doorway to the room opened, and through a flash of lightning, the countenance of Kevin Winnicot was seen. "Kevin!" Shion cried out.

Allen's voice trembled with shock and surprise when he echoed, "Kevin?!"

Jr. glanced at the blue-haired man before asking, "This is the guy who developed KOS-MOS?" Allen nodded, his eyes questioning Jr. "So he was Shion's lover?" Jr.'s heart ached slightly as he spoke, and he tried to disguise it by lowering his head briefly.

As Kevin spoke about why he'd done what he'd done while Shion questioned him, everyone was quiet listening to their exchange. However, when Kevin asked Shion to join him, Jr. narrowed his eyes. "And why the hell should she do that? You come here after all the crap you've done, forcing her to think about stuff better left forgotten! Saying it's supposed to benefit her doesn't make all that shit go away!"

Kevin turned his gaze to Jr. speculatively. "Quiet. You have no need to worry about Shion."

"The hell I don't!" Jr. raged, not noticing that Allen had turned a speculative gaze on him as well. Seeing Shion trembling with all that she'd learned and her clear wish to go to Kevin was causing Jr. to react far more strongly than he might have under different circumstances.

Kevin appeared to turn a deaf ear on Jr. and continued to list his reasons for why he'd done what he'd done. He explained about Shion's illness that had been causing her to faint. It was due to her ability to contact U-DO, but it would eventually end in her death. He also defined what KOS-MOS truly was, that being merely a prototype for T-elos. He wished to remove Shion from KOS-MOS' presence because KOS-MOS' abilities were due to using the Zohar as a door to U-DO's power. It was slowly killing Shion to be around KOS-MOS.

Despite Shion's obvious wish to go with Kevin, none of the others agreed with it. When she made a move toward Kevin, Jin jumped in front of her to stop her progress. He spoke of distrusting Kevin, and Shion became distressed by his refusal to see that she belonged with the man she loved. During their exchange, Jr. tried to use the distraction to his advantage by taking aim and firing at Kevin. T-elos blocked the shot, and Shion ran to Jr. to fling his arms up, preventing a further assault on Kevin. Jr. swore heavily, ignoring the tingling that had started flowing through him at Shion's touch. Finally, KOS-MOS took the situation in hand and, having knocked Shion unconscious to render her pliable to leaving, broke through the window and sped away with Shion.

Once the _Elsa _had picked up the rest of the group from the crumbling Labyrinthos, white surrounded the ship. The white cleared, leaving them floating out in space. chaos again spoke of everything having taken place in Shion's mind before Abel's Ark appeared in the space outside, sending the ship tumbling away from it when it initiated a transfer. The _Durandal _contacted the _Elsa_ not long after, and the weary crew and passengers of the green and white ship accepted the brief respite joining up with the large, red ship signified.

Shion had awoken in the room she shared with MOMO on the _Elsa_ to find she was alone. Not wanting to think about anything, she jumped to her feet and hurried to the door. Looking out, she saw no one in the vicinity. She'd felt the shift of the _Elsa_ before, and she somehow knew that it meant they'd come into contact with the _Durandal_. She moved out of the airlock door, seeing she'd been right when she saw the dock that usually linked to the Kukai Foundation. She sent a tight smile at the 100-Series Realian wandering about and boarded the transport. She wasn't quite sure what she was even doing, other than looking to avoid talking to anyone aboard the _Elsa._ She was looking to avoid her brother most of all, because her fury at his interference knew no bounds. When she arrived at the Residential Area, she finally admitted to what she'd known all along: she'd come here specifically for Jr. She was hoping that he'd needed to stop by his room first before visiting the bridge to check up on current events.

Avoiding the few people straggling through the hallways, she managed to make it to the door of Jr.'s room before she began to question why she'd bothered coming. If she was to be perfectly honest with herself, she was just as angry at the small redhead for interfering in her plan to reunite with Kevin._ Why would I want to see him when he's just as guilty as Jin? Interfering when I knew what I wanted…_ She clenched her teeth furiously. She'd just turned away when she heard the door open and a sound of surprise from Jr., who had been about to head for the bridge. She spun to face him, and he leaned back against the wall by the door. "I was just leaving," she said haughtily.

"A helluva wasted effort to come all the way here and then take off," he mocked, and her eyes narrowed at him.

"You wouldn't care for the reason I think I came here, anyway," she said, tossing her head irritably.

Despite the fact that Jr. felt badly for Shion and what she'd just suffered through, there were times she could annoy a person with how she danced around things. "Then why don't you just come right out and say it, Shion? I'm a big boy; I can take it," he told her, his tone still mocking.

"All of you interfered in my going with Kevin, you and Jin worst of all. KOS-MOS was only following orders, so I can't very well be that angry with her. It's what she's made to do in the end. But how dare you try to keep me from him, too?! You owe me, Jr., for getting in the way!" she stormed, her emerald eyes flashing.

"I **owe** you?" he said, the mocking tone switching to one of amazement. "Go back to the _Elsa_, Shion. I need to get up to the bridge and find out what's been going on." He started past her, and then a look of surprise crossed his face when she grabbed his arm to pull him into his room. Once she'd let go, he folded his arms across his chest, lifting an eyebrow at her. "What the hell is this? You think because I nailed you in here once, you can come and go as you goddamn please or what?"

"No, I think that I'm not done talking to you," she said quietly, her eyes still flashing. "I want payback, Jr. I'll never see it from Jin, so I'm willing to settle for it just being from you."

Jr.'s temper flared. _Fuck, I worry about her and this is the goddamn thanks I get? Her acting like a total bitch? _"You're not seeing it from me, either. I don't know what the hell kind of payback you're looking for, but I'm sure as shit not interested."

She moved so quickly, his brain barely registered that she'd left the spot she was just in until she was standing close to him. "I intend to prove you wrong," she whispered, and her hand slid beneath the white shirt he had layered underneath the gray one. With his belt and holsters off, there was nothing preventing her from unbuttoning and unzipping his jeans to allow her hand access to him.

She took hold of him, and his eyes met hers in shock. "Shit, Shion, that's not playing fair," he groaned, trying to keep from rotating his hips to press into her hand further.

"I'm not looking to play fair, Jr.," she said harshly. "Fair didn't enter the equation when it came to my choice to go with Kevin, now did it?" She stroked him lightly.

He bit his lip hard enough to taste blood before pulling away from her. "So this is your fuckin' payback, huh?" he threw at her. He dimly noted that his language seemed to have deteriorated, so she'd been able to light a fuse to his temper that hadn't been lit since she'd come to him that last time. "I'll be damned if I'm going to play your little game, Shion. Get out of here." He turned away from her, holding onto his jeans so he didn't lose them. He headed in the direction of his bed, sure she wouldn't bother staying after his dismissal.

To his surprise, she followed him. "I'm not leaving until I get what I came for!" she raged, pushing against his chest and causing him to teeter before he caught himself.

"What the fuck are you looking for?" he sneered. "For me to get all hot for you and then you can leave me that way? Do you really think I'm just gonna play along, Shion?"

"No, but I plan on making you," she answered fiercely, succeeding in pushing him backward. He glared up at her before she fell beside him, her hand already sliding into his red boxers. "I know you still want me. Do you think I haven't seen you watching me?" The light stroking began again, and she glanced into his eyes. "It won't take much," she said confidently, watching as he fought his inherent need to arch against her touch.

"Think you can…keep control?" he asked, stumbling over the words slightly. Just feeling her near him and touching him again was causing his mind to go all hazy. He mentally shouted at himself to focus on turning the tables, but her talented stroking wasn't conducive to focusing his attention where it needed to be.

"I don't plan on staying long," she murmured, her eyes intent on following the emotions playing across his face. "Gaignun Kukai, Jr.… Who would have believed he could give in so easily?"

The victorious ring to her words had the effect Jr.'s own mental shouting hadn't been able to achieve, allowing him to focus. He moved his left hand and slid it over her bared stomach as he shifted onto his side. "You might be staying longer than you planned on," he told her softly, and her green eyes narrowed at him again. "I told you I wasn't gonna play along, Shion. I meant it." His fingers began to nimbly move over the small clasps keeping her dark purple bustier closed, and she ceased stroking him.

"This isn't what I wanted…" She'd left her short coat back on the _Elsa_, so Jr. didn't need to struggle with removing that first. He undid the small hook clasp keeping the bustier closed above her breasts and pushed the sides apart. "No, it was just supposed to be me seducing you and leaving you wanting me…" When his head started to lower, she sat up hurriedly, pulling her bustier closed. "I need to go," she said desperately.

"Do you really want to now?" he asked lazily, playing with the back straps of the bustier that disappeared into her shorts. "How the hell do you even put this thing on?" His hand splayed against her stomach, and she surrendered, for the moment, to the fact that she hadn't truly worked through her plan before initiating it. She'd forgotten just how masterful his touch was in the year she'd been away from everyone. "You don't look like you're leaving, Shion," he pointed out and gently forced her back onto the bed. "Are you?"

"Not until I've gotten what I came for, and I still can," she responded, her hand returning to what it had been doing not so long ago.

"Guess we'll have to find out," he said quietly, dragging the bustier apart again and lowering his head with actual success. He felt her stroking slow as his mouth caressed her, and a small hint of triumph flowed through him. He moved down to her stomach, pressing kisses to it and teasing her belly button with his tongue. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss this." Due to his moving, her hand had slid out of his boxers, but she seemed content for the time being to arch beneath his ministrations. He removed her boots and dropped them unceremoniously on the floor. "I gotta say, Shion, that these thigh-high stockings do their damn job. The whole damn outfit does." He began to roll down one of the stockings, kissing along the inside of her leg as he did so.

Once he'd removed the other stocking and moved back up and over her, Shion felt a semblance of sanity return. "You think you've won, don't you?" she hissed. "I didn't come here to do this, and I'm not going to let you!" She shifted the white and gray shirts up, revealing his flat stomach, but suddenly came to a halt.

Jr. glanced at her. "I can take your weight," he said in answer to her unspoken worry. "Hell, KOS-MOS sat on me once. I'm not freakin' delicate here."

"I thought you weren't going to play this game," she mocked him, and his blue eyes narrowed. "Why let me get you all hot and bothered when you know I'm going to leave you without letting you finish anything?" She moved over him, her knees on either side of him, and brought her mouth to his stomach. Her hand slid back inside his boxers as her mouth caressed his stomach.

He groaned softly and lifted his hands to slide the bustier off, cursing when he realized it was somehow attached to her underwear. "Fuck, Shion, doesn't this thing get uncomfortable after a while?"

She pinned him with a look, although her green eyes were becoming heavy-lidded despite her best intentions. "You can stop trying to undress me. It's just going to slow me down when I get ready to leave." She removed his jeans and red and black chaps with little resistance from him. "A little longer, and I'll be able to do just that."

His reaction was so swift, she barely had time to give a squeak of surprise before he had her pinned beneath him. "Ain't gonna happen. You may talk big, but you know as well as I do that you're not going anywhere. Miss the way I made you feel, huh?"

"No," she insisted and dodged his kiss when he lowered his head. "Get off me and let me leave if you're not going to cooperate!" She shoved at his chest, and he moved off of her, gesturing toward the door.

"You're free to leave," he said. The mocking note had returned to his voice, and he reached down to grab her stockings and boots. "Don't come looking for something if you can't handle it."

"How do you do that?" she asked quietly. When he shot her a confused look, she elaborated, "Shut off your emotions that way. I know you want me, but you're willing to let me have my way and leave you like this?"

"I'm sure as hell not going to force you, Shion. I can just find somebody else who **is** willing." He shrugged.

She brought a finger to his mouth, and their eyes locked. "My plan isn't working if you're willing to let me go." She tugged him over her as she returned to her former supine position. "You're obviously not hot enough yet."

Instinct warned Jr. that he needed to stop what was happening, but he wasn't willing to forego what she was offering him. Despite the fact that she thought of what she was doing as using him, he wanted her. He'd just have to make sure that she ended up wanting him just as much, and he was more than up to the challenge. When he lowered his head to take possession of her mouth, he caught her chin in his hand as she moved to avoid the kiss. "If you want me hot," he murmured, "you'd better be willing to do a few things…"

After finally figuring out to divest her of the bustier, which required removing her shorts beforehand, he had her languidly protesting, unclothed form beneath him. Shrugging out of the two shirts he still had on, he focused on kissing his way down to her stomach. As she arched, he chuckled softly. "Did I tell you I was leaving?" she asked, sounding more than a little breathless.

"About a minute ago," he answered, running his hands over the inside of her thighs. "I offered to let you up, but you didn't take me up on it. Still going?"

"Yes," she breathed, even as his hands slid beneath her hips to lift her up. His mouth worked its magic on her, and she let out a sob of protest when he slid up and over her without finishing what he'd started. "Don't leave me like this…"

"I'm not you," he said, but his tone lacked any heat. He watched her eyes shut, and he took hold of her chin again. "Open your eyes, Shion." She did so slowly, and he said quietly, "I want you to know who's making love to you. I don't want you pretending it's Kevin." Her mouth opened furiously, and he covered it with his as he took his place between her thighs. "It's my name you'll be crying out at the end." Her emerald eyes flashed in anger, but her retort was lost in the wail she gave when he joined them as one.

Rolling to the side, he shifted their positions so she was above him. He wanted her to feel like she was in some form of control, because the reality was she'd lost by staying and allowing him to take things that far. She flung her head back as she moved upon him, and his hands came to rest on her hips. They both felt the emotion building within them and worked toward relieving the tempest. She tightened around him, and he groaned her name as she cried out his. Breathing heavily, she collapsed upon him as his arms curled around her to hold her close.

The post-coital bliss didn't last very long. As he lifted an arm weakened by pleasure to move her hair out of her face, she raised her head to glare at him. "I have to go," she said shortly, pulling away from him to begin picking up her clothes. She dressed hurriedly, and Jr. managed to stand up in that time to grab his robe and throw it on. He followed her as she crossed the room and took hold of her arm just before she reached the door. "I'm leaving, so I would appreciate it if you'd let go of my arm." Her voice was cool, but she refused to meet his gaze.

"Guess you didn't get what you came for, huh?" he said, the tone of his voice not indicating how he meant it.

"No, I guess I didn't," she flung back at him and left the room. He trailed after her, stopping just outside his room, to watch the angry sway of her hips as she walked swiftly down the ramp. When she disappeared into the next section, he shook his head and reentered his room. After he'd gotten redressed, he left the room, his destination the bridge. He knew he was overdue at catching up on what had been happening while they'd been away, and he was honestly surprised he hadn't been called upon already. Forcing Shion from his thoughts, he headed down the ramp to where the transport was and quickly boarded it.

Shion was able to keep a modicum of control until she returned to the _Elsa_'s cabin. Once there, she collapsed upon her bed and lowered her head to her hands. All she wanted by that point in time was to have Kevin standing in front of her. The interlude with Jr. had served to confuse her more than ever, and she tried to put it from her mind. Her misery over not being able to go with Kevin and over allowing things to go so far with Jr. caused her to snap at Jin when he came to the cabin. Her combative nature forced him to leave her in KOS-MOS' hands, and he left the room, thoroughly disgusted with his inability to help his sister on a basic level.

After having Nephilim appear before her and point her in the direction of Dmitri Yuriev and Abel, Shion left the _Elsa_ to head for the bridge of the _Durandal_. She came into the conversation where Jr. seemed indecisive as to what they should do next. "Hesitating isn't going to help," she said, and nearly all gazes turned toward her.

Jr. took note that there seemed to be something different about her, though he couldn't pin down what it was. Despite what had happened in his room and how they'd parted, he couldn't shake his instinctive worrying about her. "Are you okay?" he asked her quietly.

"I'm fine," she answered, waving him off. When Allen expressed concern about her, she tilted her head irritably. "Aren't you all worried about what I could possibly do by being around? What if I call the Gnosis again, or I just take off to side with the enemy?"

Jr. shook his head, sensing she was looking for battle. "No. Everyone here is just worried about your health."

She pinned him with a quick, intense look before glancing around at everyone. "I think I know my body better than anyone, thank you. I said I'm fine, so let's go do what we have to. We need to get to Dmitri Yuriev before it's too late, don't we?"

_I know your body pretty damn well after making love to you twice, but I sure as hell can't be bringing that up_, Jr. thought, his eyes moving over Shion. She caught him staring at her and flushed slightly, turning her head away. Drawing a deep breath, he said, "We're gonna need everyone we can get to make this work, so I'm gonna trust you're okay, Shion. We've got a plan to head for the _Merkabah_, using the _Elsa_ to pass between the fighting. We'll take care of Dmitri Yuriev once we get to the center. Get ready to move out!" The group moved onto the elevator with Shion and KOS-MOS, boarding the transport on the lower level to head to the _Elsa_.

After learning the horrible truth that Yuriev was not on the _Merkabah_ and what Gaignun's true purpose was, Sellers gave them one last piece of horrifying news. The _Durandal _had been taken over by Yuriev's forces. After they'd returned to the _Elsa_, Jr. directed Tony to circle around to the dock. "I don't care if we have to take out the goddamn walls!" Jr. raged. "We have to get the hell in there!"

The scene that greeted them when they stepped onto the dock had the group in shock. Bodies of workers and 100-Series lay upon the floor. MOMO brought her hands to her mouth, her golden eyes filling with tears. "Oh, Jr., they're all -" She couldn't finish the sentence.

Even Ziggy, who was usually able to control his emotions, was disturbed by the carnage. He attempted to say something to Jr., who raised a hand. "I don't want anyone talking to me. I can't promise I won't freak out after seeing what's been done." He started toward the transport, his posture stiff.

Shion followed him with her eyes, feeling overwhelmed by what Yuriev and his forces had done to innocent people and Realians. She wanted to say something to Jr., but with their recent sexual encounter, she doubted anything she said would be met receptively. Instead, she settled for simply staying close to him throughout the ship as they learned Mary and Shelley had survived and were being held captive. Although Jr. didn't spare her a glance, he seemed to take a small amount of comfort in her close presence as they headed toward the residential area.

After rescuing Mary and Juli and Shelley and Canaan and sending them to the _Elsa_, they made their way toward the isolation area where the Zohar Emulators were stored. They came across a roadblock in the form of Jr.'s sister, Citrine. She refused to let them pass, citing her need to protect her father at all costs. Jr. tried to reason with her, insisting that what their father was doing was wrong. She denounced any feeling for Jr. and their sibling relationship, preferring to enter battle with the party. After the battle had ended, she demanded to know why Jr. was even still alive. He spoke of the promise he'd made to Sakura and how he intended to keep that promise to her. Citrine found it pathetic that he was bound by a promise made so long ago to a young girl and lost no time in telling him so. Afterward, she fell to the ground, the battle having taken its toll on her body.

Jr. rushed to her side and whispered her name, resting a hand on her shoulder. From her vantage point beside chaos, Shion watched him silently. Once again, she wanted to say something, but she knew no words could help Jr. He'd killed Albedo a year before, and now he'd been involved in a battle that had taken his sister's life. There was nothing that could erase that. As she stepped forward, a rush of sympathy burying the anger she'd felt toward him, an alarm began to peal. Jr. jumped to his feet as Ziggy looked up in consternation. "What does the alarm signal, Jr.?"

Outrage began to emanate from Jr. as he shouted, "That son-of-a-bitch activated the Emulators!" He rushed into the room, nearly all of the party following closely behind. No one noticed chaos remain behind in the ensuing confusion.

After a conversation with Dmitri Yuriev that outlined why he'd come back and taken control of Gaignun's body, the group was forced to abandon the _Durandal_. Yuriev had set it up that the ship would ram directly into Abel's Ark, bringing the Emulators with it. Unable to figure out a way to enter the Ark, Doctus provided them with information and a program that would enable them to do so. They fought many enemies both on foot and within their E.S.s, and four strong aggregations of Gnosis that had been attached to the Emulators. The Gnosis had appeared when they reached the end of one of the spheres blocking their path to the center of the Ark and the three Emulators within began to resonate. After fighting the final Gnosis, they were able to break through the center and finally confront Dmitri Yuriev once again.

Yuriev's undoing was one of his own creations. Putting an end to Yuriev's machinations, Albedo appeared in White Testament garb to send both Abel and the original Zohar away. He was able to contact Gaignun's will, and together the three URTVs formed the anti-U-DO link. Albedo was under the impression that Gaignun's consciousness would jump into Jr., but Gaignun proved just as stubborn as his brothers and forced Albedo's consciousness out of his body and through the link. When Albedo's consciousness joined Jr.'s, the force threw Jr. away from the link. Gaignun, knowing he was about to be lost along with their father, said his goodbyes to his brothers. He also showed Jr. his true form, seeming to say Jr. would be able to achieve it one day.

Jr. sank to his knees after Gaignun disappeared, no longer having a body to hold onto and plead with to stay. Shion, disturbed by the same misery she'd sensed in him after the battle with Albedo, started forward. Unbeknownst to her, Albedo was giving Jr. a mental pep talk and convincing him to continue on in a way only Albedo could. Jr. got to his feet slowly and looked up as a tiring Albedo told him the Zohar and Abel could be found on Michtam. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and as he readied to shrug it off, he realized who it belonged to. He lifted his hand to press it over Shion's briefly, and together they turned to rejoin the group.

They headed for Michtam immediately, and before everyone headed off the ship, Jr. swallowed his pride and asked Allen to join them. He knew Allen was capable of supporting Shion, and he'd noted that the closer they came to Michtam, the stranger Shion seemed to act. One thing after another came at them when they left the safety of the _Elsa_, starting with a battle with Richard and Herman, who were easily disposed of. Pellegri initiated battle with them next, ignoring Jin's pleas for her to abandon the _Issachar _when the fight ended, instead choosing to lose her life in the flames. They lost Canaan when they fought Voyager, and that left everyone in a sad state of depression despite learning of Canaan's duplicity. Margulis attacked them in the E.S. _Levi_, and like Pellegri, he decided he was better off dying after fighting the battle he'd been searching for with Jin. Shion's pendant began to glow after the battle had ended, and they chose to follow where it was leading them.

KOS-MOS awakened into her true form within the underground section, and they had another fierce encounter with T-elos. The second battle ended much differently, with KOS-MOS emerging as the victor. It was after that battle that they proceeded into the underground further and came face-to-face with Kevin. After speaking of Wilhelm's plans and how he'd helped to accomplish them, he asked Shion to join him. Despite Allen's pleading, Shion was too tired and confused to listen to anything but Kevin's words. Jr.'s blue eyes narrowed, and he took aim at Kevin. Shion blocked his shot with her M.W.S. when he fired. "Please, you can't hurt him," she pleaded.

Jr. shot her a look of amazement. "No way in hell you're serious, Shion," he said in disbelief.

Jin stepped forward, trying to talk sense into his sister. "Shion, you know everything he's done. Do you really wish to go with him in spite of all that?"

"I've made my decision, and I'm going to stay with Kevin," she said softly.

Jin withdrew his katana, stating, "I will not abandon what I've been charged to do. Even if it means going through my own sister, I intend to save our universe."

Jr. and Allen begged Jin to reconsider, neither stopping to notice the irony of what amounted to one another's competition standing beside him in agreement. When Shion could only lower her head and apologize, Jr. cried her name out in agony.

"Shion has made her choice, and now you can all just back down and hear the words of God as you're meant to," Kevin said, giving Jr. an annoyed look.

"I'll be damned if I'll do that!" Jr. shouted back. "Shion, I don't goddamn care what you want right now. I'm willing to beat the crap out of you to make sure you come with us!" His emotions regarding her had taken over, and seeing her willing to abandon her friends struck a chord in him that only she seemed able to hit. He took his place beside Jin, and together they led the fight against Shion and Kevin.

When the fight was over, Shion was still refusing to budge in her decision. Allen threw himself between the two opposing sides, insisting, "You've all got no reason to fight! Please, just stop!"

Jr. growled, "Allen, you'd better move the hell outta the way before I really lose my temper."

Allen flung out his arms. "I'm not going to let you hurt the Chief! You guys need to stop and think about what you're doing!"

Kevin mocked Allen's passionate display. "Passion cannot save this pitiful world. If passion could do anything at all, we would not have arrived at where we are."

Few had ever seen Allen furious, but his fury was obviously beginning to simmer as he threw at Kevin, "Shut up, Kevin! You and all of the other Testaments used your power to run away, but I'm never going to run on the Chief! I'll stand firm to show her that I'll never leave her!"

Kevin seemed to take that as a challenge, and he immediately gave Allen a taste of his power as a Testament. Allen buckled beneath the energy, and Kevin laughed at him as he threw another wave of energy at Allen. When the third wave threw Allen across the room and into the base of one of the crystalline towers, Jr. made a sudden movement, like he was about to go to Allen's aid. That was when it struck Jr. As much as he'd grown to care for Shion, he wasn't the one for her. It had nothing to do with the height differences or their personalities sometimes clashing; it had everything to do with the fact that rather than fight **with **Shion, Allen was fighting **for **her. Allen understood her somehow better. Knowing how he would feel if someone got in the way of his proving his love for someone, he managed to rein in his impulse to step in for Allen and allowed him to continue fighting Kevin's words.

When KOS-MOS stepped in to aid Allen, Kevin's influence over Shion was lost. Shion looked at Allen with a look of pride and love and dismissed Kevin's insistence that she would die without him. Determined not to let Shion go so easily, Kevin pulled the entire party into battle but did not emerge victorious. Wilhelm summoned him, and when the group followed him, they were introduced to Zarathustra. Discovering who Wilhelm was and what chaos and KOS-MOS were for led to Zarathustra eventually going out of control, due to KOS-MOS' refusal to aid Wilhelm in his plan of restarting the universe.

chaos and Nephilim decided upon a dimensional shift that would take everything to Lost Jerusalem, and Shion and KOS-MOS said their goodbyes. Jin piloted the _Asher_ back to a higher level of Michtam, and there spoke of his plan to return to aid chaos and KOS-MOS. He left Shion in Allen's hands, and Jr. noted the scrutinizing glance Jin shot toward him. He shook his head once quickly, and Jin seemed pacified by it. It was a tearful goodbye when he left them.

With the overboost system and one remaining column, the _Elsa _was able to escape the dimensional shift and meet up with the _Dämmerung_. It was decided that MOMO and Ziggy would remain on board the massive ship while Jr., Shion and Allen went ahead with the _Elsa _in a search for Lost Jerusalem. While Jr. had decided that Allen truly deserved Shion due to his extremely selfless actions, a small part of him wanted to stay close to Shion. He would never interfere in the relationship Allen and Shion were building, but he couldn't keep from wanting to remain near her. The groups parted with the promise that they would someday meet again.

As they watched the _Dämmerung_ grow more distant, Shion felt Allen take hold of her hand as she rested her head on his shoulder. _I don't want to start out with any secrets. I have to tell him what happened between me and Jr., and then let him make a decision from there._ She moved her head slightly to gaze up at him. "Allen, I have something I need to talk to you about. It's about Jr.…"

Blissfully unaware of the second encounter she'd had with Jr., Allen thought she was planning on telling him about the time he already knew of. He squeezed her hand. "It's okay, Shion," he told her gently. "Whatever's in the past needs to stay there. I love you, and that's all that matters to me." He felt her nod against his shoulder, and they remained like that until the _Dämmerung_ was no longer visible.

**Author's note 2 – **Okay, so I changed some minor things from the game, but nothing drastic. I tried really hard to stick to the events in Episode III, but I did compress a lot of it in keeping with the Jr.xShion theme. However, note that the ending does not change, and Allen still ends up with the girl. : P Also, if anything seems off toward the end, forgive me, but I was working feverishly to get this done!


End file.
